Card box



Dec. 12, 1950 s, GODFREY 2,533,577

CARD BOX Filed April 14, 1948 gvwa/wtop Patented Dec. 12, 1950 CARD BOX Paul S. Godfrey, Wauwatosa, Wis assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Bernard E. Sheras, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 14, 1948, Serial No. 20,971

The present invention relates to improvements in receptacles and is particularly directed to certain novel features which adapt said receptacle for containing a stack of thin plate-likeobjects, such as .a deck of playing cards, and the invention will be described herein as a card-holdin box.

It is an object of the invention to provide a closed receptacle which has incorporated therein a simplified means for raising an article, such as a card or a package of playing cards, contained therein from a normally flat position to a normally accessible position above the top of the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a playing card receptacle having a card raising mechanism, means whereby the cards normally rest upon a flat surface to thereby preclude warping of the cards in the receptacle during storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel raising member for articles within a receptacle which is normally disposed within the confines of its interior surfaces to thereby provide a compartment therein which snugly receives said articles and precludes their movement during shipment or handling.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simplified and practical manual card package raising member having the foregoing features which may be economically manufactured.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specifications in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the card box showing one compartment thereof open with the card raising mechanism in elevated position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the box, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the box.

The box herein comprises a flat bottom wall 10, substantially parallel side walls l2 and I4, and a second pair of side walls l6 and I8 which are arranged at substantially right angles to the first mentioned side walls 12 and M. The bottom wall and the side walls define an open topped card receiving receptacle which may be closed by a cover member 20 suitably hinged to an upper edge of one of the side walls. Herein the hinge member 22 is shown as joining the cover 20 to the side wall I4.

Most card boxes have a plurality of compartments. Consequently, the internal dimensions of the box are sufiiciently great to permit a transverse dividing partition 24 thereby affording 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-4) space for two packages of playing cards, orthe like. In such case, the end-wall l2 may have hinged thereto a cover 26' for closing the-J open top of the second card compartment.

One of the side walls has provided .therethrough a passage 28. In the specific illustration the side wall I8 has provided therein'two such passages, each one leading into the bottom of its respective card receiving compartment. .1 With n each of the receptacles, as in the case of a box adapted to receive two sets of cards, there is provided a card raising support 30 which is in the form of a flat platform which lies on the bottom wall ID of the box and which occupies a substantial portion of the bottom area of each card receiving compartment.

The card-raising supports have an operating member or projection 32 formed at one edge of the supports and extending through the passages 28 whereby the supports 30 may be tilted to render articles thereon accessible above the open edge of the box.

In order to render the cards or the like more readily accessible, each of the card raising supports 38 has a portion of a free edge thereof cut away so that the top and bottom of a package of cards thereon may be grasped between thumb and forefinger. One specific manner of rendering the cards on the support more accessible is to cut off one of the free corners of the card raising supports along a diagonal line 34 as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

It will be noted that the height of the slots 28 is sufficiently greater than the thickness of the operating projections 32 to permit the tilting of the card-raising supports 30 as shown in full line in Fig. l, and in dot and dash lines in Fig. 3.

It follows from a consideration of the foregoing description that a deck of cards may be placed into the card receiving compartment and that ready access thereto may be had by simply opening the cover and depressing the operating projection 32 thereby tilting the card receiving support 30 to such an extent as to raise the lowermost card of the deck to an elevation above the free edge of the sidewall Hi. When in this position, the top and bottom of the deck may be grasped between the thumb and forefinger at the cutaway zone of the card raising support.

Although the receptacle herein has been described and illustrated as useful for holding decks of playing cards, it is contemplated that the receptacle may be used for holding other articles, or that the receptacle may be modified by those skilled in the art for packagingand holding other articles without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a box adapted to receive a pack of cards, a flat bottom by which said pack is supported with the cards in superposed relation, side and end walls defining a relatively shallow card receiving compartment, acover for said compartment, a passage positioned in one of said side walls having the lower edge thereof substantially flush with the upper surface of said fiat bottom,'a support having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces for raising cards, said support positioned within said card receiving compartment and rest ing'upon the bottom thereof, an operating member positioned at one edge of said support and extending through said passage with the bottom surface thereof in substantial contact with the lower edge of said passage whereby the support may be tilted about the lower edge of said passage as a pivot to render accessible cards positioned within said compartment.

2; In a box adapted to receive apack of cards,

a flat bottom by which said pack is supported with the cards in superposed relation, 'side'and endwalls defining a relatively shallow card receiving compartment, a cover for said compare 'm'e'nt, a passage positioned in one of said side walls having the lower edge thereof substantially flush with the upper surface of said flat bottom,

corner of said support positioned oppositely to the edge on which said operating member is located whereby the support may be tilted about the lower edge of said "passage as a pivot to render accessible and to facilitate grasping and removal of cards positioned within said compartment,

PAUL S. GODFREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 540,706 Watson June 11, 1895 1,286,374 McDonald Dec. '3, 1918 1,884,030 Maddox Oct. 25, 1932 

